In addition to all of the comings and goings in the locker room and on the ice for the Minnesota Wild, the franchise suffered an unexpected loss away from the rink on Wednesday. The team announced that Ray Shero, 62, who served as a senior advisor to general manager Bill Guerin, has died.
Born in St. Paul, Ray was the son of legendary coach Fred Shero, who coached the Philadelphia Flyers to multiple Stanley Cups in the 1970s.
“Ray Shero’s smile and personality lit up every room he walked into and brightened the day of everyone he met,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement from the league. “Widely respected throughout hockey for his team-building acumen and eye for talent, he was even more beloved for how he treated everyone fortunate enough to have known him.”
After playing college hockey at St. Lawrence, Ray found his calling in the front office, serving as an assistant general manager in Ottawa and Nashville, then as general manager in Pittsburgh from 2006 to 2014. His time with the Penguins included winning the 2009 Stanley Cup and being named the NHL’s general manager of the year in 2013.
After five seasons as general manager of the New Jersey Devils, Shero joined the Wild organization in 2021.
“Our hearts go out to his family and friends and the countless people he impacted in the hockey community throughout his successful career,” the Wild said in a statement. “Ray was the best. He will be greatly missed by all of us.”
The Shero family, which includes Ray’s wife Karen and two sons, has asked for privacy at this time.
Fleury is Wild’s Masterton nominee
Sometime in the coming weeks, Marc-Andre Fleury will officially retire from the NHL as the game’s second-winningest goalie of all time. He has three Stanley Cups to his credit, and is a shoo-in for the Hockey Hall of Fame.
And on his way out the door, Fleury has been given one more honor.
On Wednesday the Minnesota chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association officially nominated Fleury, 40, for the Bill Masterton Memorial Award, given annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
In a small gathering with reporters this week, Fleury — who has been nominated for the award twice previously — said it means a great deal to him.
“I think I’ve had lots of ups and downs in my career, and I think that perseverance helped me try to bounce back after the tough moments,” he said. “I love the game. I’ve loved hockey since I’m a kid. I still do. Always feel very fortunate to be where I am today.”
Fleury, expected to start Wednesday night’s game versus the Sharks, had made 23 previous appearances for the Wild this season with a 12-9-1 record.
The award is named after former Minnesota North Stars player Bill Masterton, who in January 1968 was the only NHL player to die as a result of an injury suffered in a game.
Playing in for the North Stars at Met Center in Bloomington, in an era where most players did not wear helmets, Masterton’s head struck the ice after a collision with two opponents. He never regained consciousness from the hit, and died two days later at age 29 at an Edina hospital.
Two Wild goalies have won the Masterton previously, Josh Harding in 2013 and Devan Dubnyk in 2015.
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